Automatic catcher for tin-plate mills.



No. 766,417. PATENTEDAUG. 2, 1904.

G. A. BOTTORFP.

AUTOMATIC UATGHER FOR TIN PLATE MILLS.

APPLIOATION FILED 8EP'1.28, 1903. no MODEL. I a nrzswss-snnm 1.

, T N "I No. 766,417. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. G. A. BOTTORFF. AUTOMATIC GATGHER FOR TIN PLATE MILLS.

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I: If 2 Hi II! n I lgggm i No. 766,417. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904., c. A. B0'I'TORFF.- AUTOMATIC OATGHER FOR "rm PLATE MILLS.

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PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28. 1903.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

NO MODEL.

No. 766,417. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. G. A. BOTTORFF.

AUTOMATIC GATGHER FOR TIN PLATE MILLS.

APPLICATION FILED 52M. 2a, 1903.

no MODEL. 7 s sums-sum 5.

v5 fl'i' a a v No. 766,417. v PATENTED AUG.-2, 1904.

' C. A. BOTTORPP. AUTOMATIC OATGHER FOR TIN PLATE MILLS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28.19%. NO MODEL. B 8HBETB-SHBBT 6- No. 766,417. PATENTED AUG. 2,1904. 0. A. BOTTORFF. AUTOMATIG GATUHER FOR TIN PLATE MILLS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28. 1903. H0 MODEL. 8 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

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C. A. BOTTORFI'.

AUTOMATIC GATGHER FOR'TIN PLATE MILLS.

APPLICATION I-ILED SEPT. 28, 1903.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

H0 MODEL UNITED STATES CHARLES A. BOTTORFF. OF CHICAGO,

Patented August 2, 1904.

ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATiC CATCHER FOR TIN-PLATE MILLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,417, dated August 2, 1904.

Application filed September 28, 1903. $erial No. 174,873. (No model.)

To all whom. it near/y concern;

Be it known that 1. CHARLES A. Bo'r'roarr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook andState of lllinois, have invented a certain new and useful Inr provement in Automatic Catchers for Tin Plate Mills, of which the following is a specification.

In the production of tin-plate a number of thin sheets of metal are placed together and passed through rollers. It is necessary that the plate be passed through the rollers several times in order to properly prepare it, and to do this it is necessary that an experienced man stand behind the rollers and catch the plates with a pair of tongs and swing the plate over the top of the rollers, so that it may be again inserted. To properly handle the plates requires great skill and involves considerable time and labor.

The object of this invention is to provide an automatic mechanism which is designed to do away with the skilled labor now required in preparing the plates, and 1 have therefore provided an apparatus which is adapted to catch the tin-plate after it has passed through the rollers and which will return it again to the first position, so that said plates may be again passed through the rollers.

Vith the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved automatic catcher for tin-plate mills, showing the lower carrier in its raised position and the upper carrier in position to receive the tinplate therefrom. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section showing the lower carrier in position to receive the tin-plate. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section showing the upper carrier in its locked position when not in use and also the trip mechanism for operating the lower carrier. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a sectional detail of the upper-carrier-operating shaft. gears, and clutch.

Fig. 9 is a sectional detail of the shaft, gears, and clutch operating the lower carrier. Fig. 10 is a sectional detail of the shaft and gears for moving the lower carrier backward and forward. Fig. 11 is a sectional detail of the shaft and sprockets for moving the lower carrier and frame backward and forward. Fig. 12 is a sectional detail of the main-shaft gears and clutch. Fig. 13 is a sectional detail of the crank-shaft carrying the reversible clutch mechanism and crank for raising and lowering the front end of the lower-carrier frame.

1n the drawings, 1 designates the main frame of the apparatus, which is located in the rear of a pair of rolls A B. (Shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1, 1, and 5.) These rolls are of the kind ordinarily used in sheet-mills, and their construction is so well known that it is needless to particularly describe them. Upon the base of frame 1 are two housings 28, one at each side, and in these housings is journaled a shaft 27. Two similar housings 1 8 on the base of the frame serve to carry the main shaft .1 of the machine, and the said shaft is provided with a band-wheel .r', through which power is communicated to the shaft from any suitable source. The shaft 1 carries near one end a sprocket-wheel 37, and the shaft 27 carries a sprocket wheel 20, a sprocket-chain 36 running over the sprocketwheels 37 and 20 and serving to communicate motion from the main shaft: to the shaft 27, from which motion is communicated to a reciprocating carrier 3, mounted on a rocking frame 2, as will be hereinafter described. The rocking frame 2 is pivotally mounted on rocking arms 26, which are mounted on the shaft 2?,the frame being in turn pivotally mounted on the rocking arms by means of depending brackets 31) on each side of the frame. which are pierced for the passage of a shaft 29, carried by the rocking arms 26. The carrier 3 is mounted on the frame 52 and is movable lengthwise thereon, the side arms of the frame being formed with slots 5, in which lugs a on the sides of the carrier tit and slide.

The carrier 3 is provided with curved arms 3, which are spaced apart, as shown in Figs. 2, 6, and T, which arms extend when the carrier is at the extremity of its forward movemain frame.

sprocket-chain 32", so that motion communi-- cated to shaft 27 from the main shaft 00 will, by means of a chain 36, which passes over a sprocket-wheel 37 on the shaft :0 and over a sprocket-wheel 37 on shaft 27, in turn be I5 communicated to the shaft 29. A doubleended clutch member 34 is splined on the shaft 29 between the sprocket-wheel 32 and another sprocket- Wheel, 33, both of which sprocket-wheels 32 and 33 are mounted on 20. shaft 29, each of said sprocket-wheels having a clutch member on their face adjacent to the clutch member 34, and the sprocket-wheel 33 is geared to a sprocket-wheel 33 on the shaft 27 The clutch member 34 is grooved and 2 5. embraced by the forked arms of a lever 69, Which is pivoted at 34 tov a cross-bar on the rocking frame 2. Said lever is formed with a beveled lug 7 O, with which a projection 68 on the reciprocating carrier 3 contacts when 0 the carrier is about reaching its extreme rearward position,said projectionserving to shift the position of the clutch member 34, so as to cause it to engage with theclutch member on sprocket 33, and thus cause the carrier to be propelled forwardly, the sprockets 32 and 33 i being loose on shaft 29, while the clutch member is splined thereon, as beforesaid, and the shaft 27 receiving motion from a sprocket 20 on shaft 18 and sprocket 2O through a chain 3 5 in reverse direction to the motion com- ,municated to said shaft 27 from shaft m by sprocket 37 and chain 36.

When the carrier 3 reaches the extremity of its movement toward the front of the rocking frame the clutch member 34 is thrown into engagement with the clutch member on the face of sprocket wheel 32 by the contacting -of lever 69 with a beveled plate 90., projecting upw ardly at an angle from the base of the I The contact of lever 69 with the plate 90 and the resultant reversing of the direction motion of the carrier is effected by the, rocking of frame 2, which is produced .in the following manner: As, before mentioned, the frame 2 is pivotally supported on the shaft 29, which is in turn supported in the pivoted rocking arms 26, and thus the frame 2 is capable of a rocking motion on the pivotal .point formed by shaft 29 and the brackets 30 ooiand also of a substantially,reciprocatory mo- ,tion by the rocking of the arms 26 on their pivotal point, which is theshaft 27. The rock- .ing motion of the frameis produced through the medium of vertical rack-bar 15, which is i 5 secured to a frame 14, which is attached to the rocking frame2, and a pitman 13, which is at tached to the rack-bar atits upper end and at its lower end to a crank 12, carried on a shaft 12. The shaft 12 carries two loosely-mounted sprocket-wheels 10 and 11,having clutch members on their adjacentfaces, and between these sprocket-wheels a double-ended clutch member is splined on the shaft, said clutch member 9 being formed with a central groove that is embraced by the forked arms of a shiftinglever 9. which is pivoted at 16 on the main frame 1. The sprocket 10 is connected to a sprocket-wheel 39 on the main shaft as by a straight chain 38, while the sprocket-Wheel 11 is connectedto a sprocket-wheel 41 on the shaft 00 by a cross-chain 40. By this means motion will be imparted in one direction or the other to shaft 12 accordingly as the clutch member 9. is caused to engage with one or the other of the clutch members on the sprocketwheels 10 or 11. A shaft 23 is mounted in suitable bearings 24 on the main frame 1 and carries a gear-wheel 22, that meshes with rack 15, and a pitman 25 is connected to said gearwheel 22 and to one of the rocking arms26, so that as the wheel 22 is revolved the arm 26 will be rocked back and forward, carrying with it the frame 2. The gear-Wheel 22 also meshes with a pinion 21, which is carried on a shaft 18, mounted in bearings 19 on the main frame 1, and a chain 35 passes around a sprocket-wheel 20, carried by said shaft 18, and around a sprocketwheel 2O on the shaft 27.

Upon the front of the main frame 1 is mounted a table 7, that receives the plate as it comes from the rolls. This table is formed of a series of vertical plates spaced apart, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, and to one of these plates is pivoted a trip-lever 8, that engagesa substantially L-shaped lever' 8, which is pivoted at 8 to the table 7 and which engages a bracket on the lever 9.

On the base of the main frame 1 is pivoted a shifting-lever 79, which is in engagement with the clutch member 9 and is adapted ,to

, be moved by the foot of the operator to throw said clutch member into engagement. with one or the other of the sprocket-wheels 1O 11.

Upon top of the main frame 1 a movable carrier 58 is arranged, said carrier being composed of sections of angle iron 58 58 bolted together, there being two such sections at each side of the frame, the sections on one side being connected to the'sections on the other side of the main frameby a cross-bar 59, said carrier being adapted to slide forward and back on the frame and being supported and guided by'the ends of cross-bar 59, which fit and slide in horizontal slots 60 in the side plates 52 of the main frame. The carrier 58 has a rack-bar 58 on top, which is adapted to be successively engaged by gear-Wheels 56, carried onsha'ft's 53,v which are journaled in the side plates 52 of the main frame and have on one end beveled gears 57, meshing with ioo beveled gears 54 on a shaft 55. which is journaled in suitable hearings in the main frame.

A shaft 45, which is arranged parallel with the shafts and also carries gear-wheels 56, projects beyond the side plate 52 on one side of the frame and carries two loose sprocketwheels 44 49, having clutch members formed on their adjacent surfaces and an intervening double-ended clutch member 51, which is splined on said shaft and embraced by the forked end of a shifting-lever 73, which is pivoted at 73 in a bracket projecting from the side plate 46 of the main frame and has a lug '7 2 on its lower end which is engaged by a lug 71 on the rocking frame 2 when the forward end of said frame is lowered. The clutch member 51 is also embraced by the forked ends of a second shifting-lever 76, pivoted at 76" and provided with beveled projections and '78, which are adapted to be engaged by lugs '74 and 77 on the carriage 58.

The sprocket-wheels 44 and 49 on shaft 45 are geared to sprockets 43 and 48 on the main shaft by a straight chain 46 and a crossed chain 47, and the sprocket-wheels 43 and 48 are both formed integral with a sleeve that runs loosely on the main shaft m and is formed with a clutch member which is adapted to be engaged by a clutch member 80, splined on the main shaft and embraced by the forked arms of a shifting-lever which is pivoted upon top of a standard 8O on the base of the main frame.

The carrier 58 carries L-shaped depending arms 52, to which are pivotally attached curved arms 52*, which are so spaced as to pass between the curved arms 3 of the carrier 3 when the latter is in its elevated position, as shown in Fig. 3. The pivot 61,which unites the arms 52 and 52, extends laterally beyond said arms and travels in a curved slot 63 in the side plate 46, and a bar 62, which is attached to the inner ends of all the arms 52, has projecting ends which work in curved slots 63 in the side plates 46. Pivoted switches 65, 66 and 67 are arranged upon the plates 46, these switches serving to guide and direct the movement of the pivots 61 and the bar 62 in the curved slots 63 and 64, as will be hereinafter described.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the first treatment of the metal, usually termed roughing, is as follows: The clutch 9 is out of engagement with both of the sprocket-wheels 10 and 11 and rocking frame 2 is in its raised position and carrier 58 in its central position and clutch 34 in engagement with sprocket-wheel 32. A sheet of metal being passed between the rolls A B slides upon table 7, and striking trip-lever 8 throws lever 9' to one side and causes clutch member 9 to engage sprocket-wheel 11. As

the main shaft :1: is in motion at this time, the shaft 12 is turned by the engagement of clutch member 9 with sprocket 11, and its revolution causes pitman 13 to draw down the end of rocking frame 2 and with it the rack 15, causing gear 22 to turn and through the pitman 25 and rocking arm 26 imparting a reciprocatory motion to the rocking frame 2 as it descends, which results in the end of the frame clearing the upper roll A and following the curvature of the roll in its descent. At the same time sprocket 20 on shaft 18 is revolved by the engagement of gear-wheel 22 with pinion 21 and imparts motion to shaft 27 by chain 35, from whence motion is communicated to shaft 29 by chain 33", and gear-wheel 31 is revolved from right to left and by its engagement with rack 6 causes the carrier 3 to move backwardly into the position shown in Fig. 4. When the carrier 3 reaches its farthest rearward position, the lug 68 strikes the projection 70 on lever 69 and by moving the lever shifts the clutch member 34 out of engagement with sprocket 32 and into engagement with sprocket 33, whe eby the carriage 3 is by the reversal of the direction of movement of the shaft 29 caused to move forwardly, a reverse movement being communicated to shaft 27 from main shaft w by chain 36. WVhen the carrier 3 has reached its extreme forward position and has been elevated, as hereinbefore described, the projection on the base of the frame strikes the lever 69 and the clutch member 34 is returned to its original position and the carrier 3 is again moved backwardly. \Vhen the carrier 3 has been moved forward in the manner described, which is accomplished while the rocking frame 2 is still in its horizontal position, the continued movement of the shaft 12 causes the front end of frame 2 to be elevated, thereby elevating the plate of metal which has come through the rolls and is now resting on the arms 3 to a point above the top of upper roll A. \Vhen the rocking frame 2 has reached its elevated position, as shown in Fig. 1, the carrier 58 is caused to travel forward by the motion of gear-wheels 53, which, as before stated, are given motion from the main shaftm by means of sprocket-wheels 43 44, chain 47, shaft 45, beveled gears 54 57, and shaft 55. The arms 52 of the carrier are by the forward movement of the carrier pushed under the plate on arms 3, and the continued movement of the carrier causes the arms 52 to be elevated by reason of the movement of pivots 61 and rod 62 in the slots 63 and 64, thus raising the plate off the arms 3. The further continuation of the movement of the carrier by reason of the divergence of the slots 63 and 64 at their forward ends causes the arms 52 to descend slightly and discharge the plate over the top of roll A. \V hen the carrier has reached the extremity of its forward movement, the lug 74 strikes the lug 75 on switch-lever 76, which throws the clutch member 51 out of engagement with sprocket-wheel 44 and into engagement with sprocket wheel 49, whereupon the direction of movement of the carrier 58 is reversed and which then moves backward, and when the carrier has reached the extremity of its backward movement the lug 77 strikes the lug 78 on the switch-lever 7 6, throwing the clutch member 5 into engagement with sprocket 4:4: and causifng the carrier to again move forward as beore.

' The switches 6566, it will be observed, are so arranged that the rod 62 on the backward movement of the carrier will travel up the rear portion of slot 63 and on the forward movement of the carrier will travel down the rear portion of the slot 645, these slots crossing one another at the point where switch 66 is located and merging at the point where switch '65 is located. This movement of the inner end of arms 52 causes the outer ends of said arms -to describe asomewhat irregular but substantially circular movement from right to-left or in a direction opposite to the movement of the hands of a clock, so that after discharging a plate, as before described,

' they will move backwardly, then descend, and

then rise up under the plate in the arms 3.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that a plate resting upon the table 7 will be elevated on armsB by the rocking of frame 2, which while it rocks describes a curve coinciding with the curvature of roll A, so as to avoid contacting with the same. hen theplate has been thus raised, the arms '52 coming forward pass under the plate, lifting it from the arms 3 and discharging it over top'of roll A, and during the descent of the rocking frame 2 the carrier 3 and arms 3 thereof are moved backward and then forward under the next plate, which has been passed under the rolls and rests on table 7 and that these several motions will be continued so long as the shaftlQ is kept in motion by the engagement of its clutch member 9 with sprocket-wheels 10 or 11.

Having thus described my invention, I 'claim 1, In a machine of the character described, the combination of a receiving-table, a carrier provided with a series of arms adapted to pass under a plate on said table, means for elevating said carrier, a second carrier having arms adapted to project under the plate on the arms of the firstmamed carrier, and means for elevating-the arms of the second carrier to raise the plate fromthe arms ofthe first carrier.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a receiving-table, a rocking frame, a carrier longitudinally movable on said-rocking frame and adapted to be projected under a plate sustained on said table, means for imparting a motion to said rocking frame and means for longitudinally moving said carriage thereon.

3. In a machine of the character described,

the -combination of a'receiving-table, a rocking frame a carrier longitudinally movable on said rocking frame, a rocking support for said frame, means for rocking said frame and for simultaneously rocking its support, and means for imparting a reciprocating movement to said carrier.

4. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a main frame, a receivingtable mounted thereon, a'rocking frame, means for rocking said frame, a sliding carrier mounted on said rocking frame, projecting arms on said carrier, means for imparting reciprocatory movement to said carrier, a second carrier movably mountedon said main frame above the rocking frame, pivoted arms carried by said second carrier and adapted to project between and below the arms of thefirst-named carrier when the latter is in its elevated position, means for reciprocating said secondnamed carrier and means for raising and lowering said pivoted arms.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a main frame, a receivingtable composed of plates spaced apart, a rocking frame composed of a series of plates registering with the spaces between the plates of the table and adapted to pass through such spaces, means for rocking said frame, a carrier movably mounted on said frame, means for moving said carrier and for automatically reversing the movement of the same.

6. In a machineof the character described, the combination of a main frame, a receivingtable thereon, a rocking frame, means for rocking said frame, a reciprocating carrier 'mounted on said rocking frame, means for reciprocating said carrier, a secondreciprocating carrier mounted on the mainframe, means for imparting reciprocatory motion thereto, a power-sh aft and intermediate mechanism between said power-shaft and the means for reciprocating each of said carriers, wherebythey will be successively reciprocated inthe same direction, said second carrier being provided with arms adapted-to project under a plate on the first-named carrier and raise it therefrom.

7. In a machine of the character described,

the combination of a receiving-table, a rocking frame, a reciprocating carrier mounted on said frame, means for imparting motion to said rocking frame, means for imparting motion to said carrier, a main shaft, gearing and connections for imparting motion from said main shaft to said carriera supplemental shaft, gearing and connections between said main shaft and said supplementary shaft, a pitman connected to said rocking frame and said supplementary shaft, a clutch on said supplementary shaft adapted to bring into operative connection the main and supplementary shafts and a tripper on said receivingtable adapted to operate said clutch.

8. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a main frame areceivingtable, a rocking frame, a reciprocating carrier mounted on said rocking frame, means for rocking said frame, a rack-bar on said carrier, a shaft journaled on said frame, a gear on said shaft, meshing with said rack-bar, means for alternately turning said shaft in 0pposite direction to move the carrier to and fro, and means for automatically reversing the motion of said shaft.

9. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a main frame, receivingtable, a rocking frame, a reciprocating carrier mounted on said frame, a rack-bar on said carrier, a gear-wheel meshing With said rackbar, means for imparting motion to said rockmg frame and motion alternately in diflerent 1 

